×

Taming the beasts: Lucky break nets Kvamme another bull riding win at NDSF

Alex Eisen/MDN Canadian bull rider Mathew Leippi goes airborne on his bull in the first round of the NPRA Championship Bull Riding event Tuesday evening at the North Dakota State Fair.

Music blaring and the crowd cheering, then a chute popped open unexpectedly. Keenan Kvamme’s second round bull had escaped and left the Carrington native behind.

“The latch broke and he got out,” Kvamme said. “So, they ran a re-ride for me and I knew the re-ride bull — I’ve seen him forever. I rode him like two years here for like 80 points. So, I was pretty happy when I got on him because the other bull was a young one, so I didn’t know what he was going to do. It was a lucky break.”

On the final ride of the night, Kvamme looked in complete control on the bull he knew and put on an eight-second show.

The best truly was saved for last.

Not only was his last run good enough to win the North Dakota State Fair competition for the second time in past three years, Kvamme’s second round score of 88 was the best mark seen over the two days of NPRA Championship Bull Riding at the All Seasons Arena.

“I’ve done like the last three state fairs and I’ve always won a little bit of money,” said Kvamme, who picked up a victory in 2016 and placed last year to earn some cash as well.

In similar fashion to how Kvamme won one of the events in 2016 and also how Monday’s competition went, all the winner needed to do was complete two rides. Kvamme stayed upright twice for scores of 68 and 88 for a winning total of 156.

In total, the success rate Tuesday for the 19 bull riders was 17.1 percent with six successful rides being completed on 35 attempts.

After 11 failed attempts to start the competition, Keene’s Dalton Wright set the benchmark score with an 80 on a turning and twisting bull.

Two rides later, Wade Berg from Chaffee matched with a successful run, but only received a 71.

The third and final complete run in the first round went to Kvamme, but his bucking bull named Brown Bomber wasn’t very spectacular and only netted Kvamme a 68.

The second round started off like the first with the first nine riders getting tossed off. The streak was broken with back-to-back successful rides from Lane Berg and Javier Carcia.

Berg topped his brother Wade and had the best score of the evening (82) until Kvamme came along. Although, it did hold up for second place. Wright finished in third with his 80-point ride.

Carcia, who took third place in Monday’s bull riding event at the NDSF, didn’t get a feisty enough bull and had to settle for a score of 74.

Kvamme’s big break happened in the middle of the round.

“He didn’t really want to go forward in (the chute) and they just kept pushing him up,” Kvamme said. “He jumped and hit the latch just right, opened it and spilled out. They didn’t have it tied right or something.”

That shuffled Kvamme to the back of the line to have the final ride of the night. He knew what he needed to beat and didn’t disappoint.

The Carrington native has a few more events lined up this summer before heading back to college in Montana. He will be at the Sheridan Saddle Club PRCA Rodeo in Plentywood, Montana, on Thursday.

The Ranch Rodeo occupies the All Seasons Arena next at the NDSF with a competition being held today and tomorrow starting at 7 p.m. with a Mutton Bustin’ pre-show at 6:45 p.m.

Alex Eisen covers Minot State athletics, the Minot Minotauros and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today